Abstract: An apparatus and method for laser-assisted machining (LAM) of non-monolithic composite bone material is described. A high intensity focused laser beam conducts bone material removal in extremely short time duration without causing any thermal (necrosis) and mechanical damage to the material surrounding the bone-laser interaction region. A computer associated with the apparatus for machining bone preferably employs a Multiphysics computational modeling approach which takes into account physical phenomena such as heat transfer, fluid flow, convection mixing, and surface tension when determining bone target volume, calculating material properties of the multicomponent and multicomposition composite bone material, determining parameters for the laser-assisted machining based on the material properties, and performing the laser-assisted cutting/shaping/machining of bone.

Abstract: A method of assisting a heart for the operation of a ventricular assist device comprising the steps of implanting a cannula to the heart and deploying a stent within a left ventricle, a right ventricle, a left atrium, or a right atrium of the heart. The stent may be transferable from a first compact configuration to a second open configuration to facilitate implantation. The stent may also have a flared distal end to assist with alignment, positioning, and prevent outgrowth.

Abstract: A submerged wave energy conversion apparatus and pressurized fluid or electricity production system are provided that harvests energy from a motive force derived from pressure differentials created by the interaction of the system with ocean water. The system is capable of capturing energy from up to six different modes of motion of the absorber body in response to the energy of incident waves. The apparatus has an absorber body that is attached to one or more damping mechanisms like a hydraulic cylinder, a hydraulic circuit that can create useful mechanical torque, a restoring mechanism such as an air spring to restore the absorber system to stable equilibrium, and a buoyant artificial floor to create an opposing reaction force. The apparatus may also have a controller for system monitoring and control, to maintain optimized energy extraction, and for load management to avoid damaging loads.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing an in vitro model for blood-brain barrier, including (a) a culturing conditionally immortalized astrocytes on one surface of a porous membrane and culturing conditionally immortalized brain pericytes on the other surface of the porous membrane, until both of the cells become a sheet; (b) culturing conditionally immortalized brain microvascular endothelial cells in a culture vessel, until the cells become a sheet; (c) peeling off the sheet of conditionally immortalized brain microvascular endothelial cells; (d) allowing the sheet of conditionally immortalized brain microvascular endothelial cells to come into contact with the sheet of conditionally immortalized brain pericytes, so that the sheets are arranged in layers; and (e) co-culturing a cell culture comprising three layers consisting of the sheet of conditionally immortalized brain microvascular endothelial cells, the sheet of conditionally immortalized brain pericytes, and the sheet of conditionally immortalized astro

Abstract: A fall prevention device configured to be coupled to a person and comprising a mechanical torso configured to be coupled to the person's torso and a mechanical structure configurable to be coupled to the mechanical torso from its first end. The mechanical structure and mechanical torso resist forces at least along one direction to maintain their posture relative to each other. In operation the second end of the mechanical structure is positioned behind the person and substantially close to the ground. When the second end of the mechanical structure contacts the ground, contact points of legs of the person on the ground and contact points of the second end of the mechanical structure outline a multi-sided polygon on the ground. If the vertical projection of the center of gravity of the person to the ground intersects the ground within the multi-sided polygon, the person and fall prevention device remain stable.

Abstract: A DUV-LED including a bottom substrate, a n-contact/injection layer formed on the bottom substrate, a p-contact region, and an emitting active region between the n-contact/injection layer and the contact region. The emitting active region includes at least one GaN quantum heterostructure. The at least one GaN quantum heterostructures is sized and shaped to determine a certain emission wavelength. Preferably, the certain emission wavelength is in a range of approximately 219-280 nm. In one embodiment, the size is controlled by precisely controlling parameters selected from the group consisting of: an epitaxial deposition time; a Ga/N ratio; a thermal annealing time; a temperature during deposition; and combinations thereof.

Abstract: A switching element with a small current capacity is provided to be able to be used in a DC-DC converter. The DC-DC converter includes a switching circuit in which a first switching element, a second switching element, a third switching element, and a fourth switching element are connected in series, a flying capacitor that is connected between a connection portion between the first switching element and the second switching element and a connection portion between the third switching element and the fourth switching element, a reactor that is connected between a connection portion between the second switching element and the third switching element and a positive electrode of an input unit, and a control circuit that turns on/off the switching element, in which the control circuit turns on/off the switching elements so that a peak value in a reactor current becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A positioning method using height-constraint-based extended Kalman filter, suitable for a GNSS navigation and positioning system, comprises: obtaining an estimated state value of a current epoch by using an extended Kalman filter algorithm and according to an estimated state value of a previous epoch; constraining a positioning height of the current epoch by establishing a height constraint condition, so as to obtain an optimum estimated value of the current epoch and a corresponding mean square error, wherein the optimum estimated value satisfies the height constraint condition; further correcting the estimated state value by using a pseudorange obtained from the mean square error and a measured. Doppler shift residual to obtain a final estimated state value of the current epoch, thus more accurately obtaining positioning information of a target to be positioned in the current epoch and enhancing the accuracy of GNSS navigation and positioning.

Abstract: Disclosed are ROS-sensitive NOS inhibitors, as well as methods of making and using the same.

Abstract: An image signal decoding method according to the present invention comprises the steps of: decoding information indicating whether a current block is encoded using a multi-mode intra prediction; when it is determined that the current block is encoded in the multi-mode intra prediction, dividing the current block into a plurality of partial blocks; and obtaining an intra prediction mode of each of the plurality of partial blocks.

Abstract: A column fixing device for frost prevention machine includes a frost prevention machine, a connecting support, a pedestal, and pedestal bolt. The connecting support is composed of an anti-tilting guide barrel, a fixed pillar, a rib plate, and a connecting plate. The pedestal is composed of pedestal plates spliced to each other, and adjacent pedestal plates are connected via double-end studs. The pedestal bolt is used for fixedly connecting the connecting support with the pedestal. The pedestal is hit into soil to fix the pedestal, and then the frost prevention machine is fixed through the pedestal and the connecting support so as to overcome the difficulty and low efficiency of digging small-diameter installation deep holes required for high precision.

Abstract: An adjustable and self-locking fixation device for fixedly securing two structures wherein the device comprises two spans and a receiving aperture configured to receive the spans and form a closed loop around a first structure. The two spans are further configured to secure and lock onto each other so as to form a second closed loop around the two structures and secure the two structures in a tensioned state.

Abstract: The invention relates to administration of clinical anesthesia. Particular embodiments provide systems and methods for controlled delivery of a combination of an analgesic agent and a hypnotic agent. More specifically, the invention relates to closed-loop control systems/methods for automatically controlling the administration of a combination of a hypnotic agent and an analgesic agent in a clinical anesthesia setting which incorporate feedback based on one or more indirect measures/indicia of analgesia. The invention further relates to such control systems/methods that account for limitations of such indirect measures/indicia of analgesia.

Abstract: A polarization field assisted DUV-LED including a bottom substrate and a n-contact/injection layer formed on the bottom substrate. The n-contact/injection layer includes: a first region for accommodating strain relaxation; a second region for lateral access with a low sheet resistance and higher conductivity compared to the first region to minimize resistive losses and heat generation; and a third region of a graded vertical injection layer with low vertical resistance to minimize heat loss due to vertical resistance. The DUV-LED also includes a p-contact region, and an emitting active region between the n-contact/injection layer and the p-contact region. The injection of electrons and holes into quantum wells (dots, discs) proceeds due to tunneling of electrons and holes under the barriers due to less than 2 nm thickness of barriers. This carrier injection lowers the Turn ON voltage of LEDs and reduces heat generation compared with conventional thermionic over-barrier injection.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and materials for pyrolyzing vegetable oil feedstocks to obtain high yields of various products are described.

Abstract: Compositions and methods are provided for modifying diagnosing and treating inflammatory disease. The methods and compositions can be used to ameliorate the effects of a deficiency in the LAP pathway for clearing dead cells. Thus, methods are further provided for modulating dead cell clearance using an effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition that targets the LAP pathway. Accordingly, pharmaceutical compositions that target the LAP pathway re provided herein. The methods and compositions described herein can be used to treat inflammatory disease, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for monitoring one or more of cerebral oxygenation and total hemoglobin concentration that can be used to perform accurate, noninvasive measurement of cerebral venous blood oxygen saturation (oxygenation) in neonatal patients. A neonatal cerebral oxygenation detection apparatus comprises a wearable support having a light emitter and an acoustic sensor coupled thereto. The wearable support can be secured onto a head of an infant, and the light emitter can be configured to emit a light toward a superior sagittal sinus of the infant's head. The acoustic sensor can be configured to detect acoustic pressure generated by blood in the superior sagittal sinus when the superior sagittal sinus blood absorbs the light. Cerebral oxygenation and/or total hemoglobin concentration can be determined based on the acoustic pressure detected by the acoustic detector.

Abstract: The invention provides methods of enriching and isolating novel microbial organisms, such as rhizobacteria, that promote the growth of plants by recreating the rhizosphere in a laboratory setting. The methods of the invention can be used to produce and characterize beneficial microbes grown at the root-soil interface and provide a technique for selectively enriching bacteria that live in close association with plants and foster the growth thereof.

Abstract: Provided is a multimeric peptide comprising at least two peptide monomers linked to one another, each of the at least two peptide monomers comprising at least 6 consecutive amino acids from the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein the at least two peptide monomers are each no longer than 30 amino acids, wherein the multimeric peptide is capable of reducing binding of Placenta Immunomodulatory Factor (PLIF) to human leukocytes.

Abstract: Systems and methods discussed herein may harness geothermal energy from geothermal wells, such as a retrofitted decommissioned well, that may be utilized for water desalination. Hot fluids extracted from the geothermal well may be utilized to generate geothermal energy that can be utilized to power desalination devices to removal minerals and/or salt from produced water from another well. These hot fluids may be recirculated back into the geothermal well to gather heat and to form a closed-looped system that provides thermal energy to the desalination unit. The treated water may be stored for latter agricultural, municipal, and/or other use, or it may be utilized further hydraulic fracturing.